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Five men arrested in India over attacks on Africans

Africans were attacked with sticks and metal chairs in Greater Noida after teen's drug death was blamed on Nigerian man.

28 Mar 2017 15:42 GMT

Indian police arrested five men after hundreds of people went on a violent rampage targeting Africans outside New Delhi where a teenage boy died of a suspected drug overdose.

Senior police officer Sujata Singh told AFP news agency on Tuesday that four other suspects were on the run. He added that about 300 people were involved in the riots in Greater Noida city that started on Monday

One television station showed an angry mob hitting a car with sticks, while another showed dozens of attackers using steel chairs to hit shoppers in a mall.

"Rumours were being spread that Africans were behind the youth's death and racist comments were made on social media. It looks racially motivated," Singh said.

The unrest came after police in Greater Noida released five Nigerian students detained over the youth's death, saying they had no evidence against them.

Africans living in India frequently face discrimination and even violence and are often accused of involvement in the illegal drug trade.